Engineering & Mining Journal

AUG 2017

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SAFETY AND TRAINING
50 E&MJ • AUGUST 2017 www.e-mj.com
allow a worker to assess his or her physi-
cal and mental status based on real-time
brain-wave data, or to notify supervisors if
the worker is unable or unwilling to do so.
Australia-based SmartCap Tech recently
introduced the LifeBand, a follow-up prod-
uct to its SmartCap, which uses sensors in
the hatband of a purpose-built cap to con-
duct EEG (electroencephalography) mon-
itoring of fatigue levels in the wearer. The
LifeBand, according to the company, uses
similar technology but can be fitted into any
type of headwear — hardhats, caps or bean-
ies — and will provide alertness readings via
Bluetooth to the user's smartphone as well
as to a central reporting point, if desired.
Taking Over
At the other end of the technology spec-
trum, larger, mine-wide systems, such as
those used for dispatch and fleet manage-
ment, are also becoming sophisticated
enough to take control of equipment out
of operators' hands if the situation war-
rants, based on sensor readings.
For example, in June, Hexagon AB an-
nounced the launch of HxGN Mine VIS, a
vehicle intervention system that detects and
prevents collisions by automatically slowing
down or even stopping a haul truck if an im-
minent collision is detected. The company
said Mine VIS is an additional layer of safety
on top of the Collision Avoidance System,
(CAS) helping to avoid incidents, injuries
and fatalities. Mine VIS manages traffic in
the pit and, by reacting when and if oper-
ators do not, it ensures safety rules are fol-
lowed. CAS provides drivers of large vehicles
with 360° proximity detection at any speed
and in all conditions via cabin display units.
It is installed in more than 25,000 vehicles
in more than 60 mines worldwide.
According to Hexagon, Mine VIS can
take control of the machine in certain
defined situations if the operator does
not react appropriately to the initial CAS
warning. The system can act depend-
ing on the situation, either by inhibiting
propulsion, activating the retarder or ap-
plying the service brake. It can also be
used in conjunction with the company's
fatigue-detection, alerting and reporting
solution, FatigueMonitor — using the
same sensors and user interface.
Mine VIS is being installed in Anglo
American Kumba Iron Ore's Sishen mine
in South Africa, where government regu-
lations will compel surface mines to im-
plement such systems on heavy machine
equipment by June 2019.
In other applications, collision avoid-
ance systems can provide greater safety
for operators in less-obvious ways. For ex-
ample, Wenco International reported that
installation of its Fleet Awareness technol-
ogy at Nordgold's Bissa-Bouly gold mine in
Burkina Faso is expected to help operators
cope with low-visibility conditions arising
from thick airborne dust clouds on site.
(For a leading fleet management sys-
tem provider's view on emerging colli-
sion-avoidance technologies and chang-
ing regulatory requirements in the global
mining market, see "Technology Alone
Won't Keep Workers Safe," p. 51.)
Hands Off
In the underground sector, mine operators
are indicating greater interest in automat-
ing various aspects of their loading and
haulage operations to not only improve
productivity but enhance worker safety and
asset preservation as well. E&MJ report-
ed in the July issue (See "Greens Creek
Moves to Automated Loading With Sandvik
System," p. 75) that Hecla Mining Co.'s
Greens Creek operation is the first U.S.
underground mine to employ Sandvik's
AutoMine machine-automation technology
to one of its loaders working in areas where
it extracts ore by bulk longhole methods,
and expects to add the capability to more
machines in the near future.
In Australia, Pybar, an underground
mining contractor, began testing a new
Haul Truck Guidance system from Perth-
based RCT at Aurelia Metals' Hera mine
in New South Wales.
According to RCT, the gold and lead/
zinc project increased productivity and
reduced machine damage after equipping
two of Pybar's Caterpillar AD45 ejectors
with the ControlMaster system that guides
the machines to loading and dump points,
only requiring operator intervention when
the machine is actually being loaded.
Pybar COO Brendon Rouse said the
system was significantly improving the
company's ability to safely and efficiently
direct dump waste into a stope.
"The Haul Truck Guidance solution
has eliminated the need for operators to
steer the truck down the long drives, and
the need for developing truck turnaround
bays near the stope tip heads," said
Rouse. "The system works in a similar
way to the current [RCT] Guidance sys-
tem fitted on several of Pybar's produc-
tion loaders at numerous other sites."
RCT's product manager, Dave Holman,
said this solution evolved from the Control-
Master Loader Guidance solution. "It was
specifically designed for the haul truck ap-
plication after feedback from clients made
us aware of the issues they were experienc-
ing on site, which included costly damage
bills and erratic production results," said
Holman. "RCT redesigned both the hard-
ware and software to suit the requirements
and a close collaboration with key mining
companies ensured our unique solution
was addressing all areas of concern."
The steering, braking and speed of the
truck are automatically determined by the
minimum width of the drive and the look-
ahead distance of the onboard laser units.
There is also an object detection feature
which further assists in tight areas.
"Automating the process simplifies
the task of driving a haul truck long dis-
tances within tight space limitations to
deliver consistent cycle times while heav-
ily reducing machine damage simultane-
ously," said Holman.
Based on favorable results from the
system's trial at Hera, Pybar reportedly is
evaluating its application at other sites.
SmartCap Tech recently announced a collaboration with Canada-based Newtrax Technologies to develop innovative
safety solutions utilizing SmartCap's LifeBand sensor band in underground mining applications. The LifeBand is
the latest in wearable tech offered by SmartCap Tech, following earlier introduction of its SmartCap fatigue-sens-
ing and reporting system, shown here.